Dexmedetomidine Versus Nalbuphine as an Adjuvant to Intrathecal Bupivacaine

Spinal anesthesia is the most consistent block for lower abdomen and lower limb surgical procedures. Over years many drugs have been used as an additive to spinal anesthesia in order to prolong the duration of action and to provide adequate postoperative analgesia. Dexmedetomidine, a highly selective α2 agonist is rapidly emerging as the choice of additive to spinal anesthesia in view of its property to provide analgesia however, it may be associated with bradycardia which may affect the hemodynamic stability. Nalbuphine is an opioid with agonist actions in the kappa receptor and antagonist actions in the mu receptor, it produces analgesia and sedation and lesser side effects through antagonism at the mu receptor but, it could be associated with some side effects as: dizziness, bradycardia, nausea, vomiting, and pruritus and may be associated with respiratory depression.